This show is about on par with the night before - with the notable standouts in the 1st set of a Casey Jones opener (and first since '74) and Dupree's (first since '69). Also standouts are the excellent Let it Grow and Deal to close out the set.

But much like the night before, this show has a great second set, that flows like one big river. And the incredible Scalet>Fire may be the best of the year - the languid, melodious transition is absolutely stunning, and Fire is, well, on fire! An excellent version that has become one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately, things do seem to peter out a bit after the rollicking version of Truckin, with a kind of ragged, sluggish sounding Other One, and Garcia's lead in Wharf Rat getting cut off by some annoying tape warble. But these are only minor complaints. This show is a classic and worthy of its popularity. And if you only have time for a couple tunes, don't pass by without hearing that amazing Scarlet>Fire.

I often stick to early GD listening (68 - 72) but occasionally venture out to the late 70s and even into the 80s!

The show is played superbly, the 2nd set is killer, as were many from this year. But what really makes this show for me is the combination of great playing, clear tone from Jerry, and this crystalline recording. Wow.

Although Phil could be a bit higher in the mix :)

Excellent show. One of the best Scarlet-Fire transitions EVER, easily in the top 3 of '77. I have both these Paramount shows if anyone wants to trade or do a B&P. Rawkus1167@comcast.net

HOW YOU CAN HEAR THE NEW AND IMPROVED ANIMAL...WOLF!!!

both jerry & bob are playin thru a mutron III for a kiler double blast of jerry wah

I know it's been said on damn near every review before mine but you should listen to this Casey Jones. Now. Stop what you're doing and listen to it!

You're day, week, month will be better for it.

Seriously.

Betty Cantor rocks! This is another top-quality betty board and a great performance from the boys. It beats 10-1-77, IMHO.

I will add my praise to the chorus of great reviews for this show in an extraordinarily special year of touring. This one is a thing of beauty, especially with that huge Casey Jones opener.

1977 was an epic year but this show is rediculous, one of the best of that yearr for sure!!

Wow. What a baller, rarity show. This show goes to show that in 77' a year of tons of Deals, Cassidys, LL>Sup, the band really did try to mix up their set lists.

First notably with a solid (and super rare) Casey Jones set opener at almost 10 minutes long!! Solid jam exchanges ensue. The following Jack Straw is strong, with Bobby being unusually thrashy and adding some nice licks in the mix. Other first set rarities include the First Dupree's Diamond Blues since 69'! Solid Version (Jer forgets some lyrics, can you blame him?) and the crowd loves it. For some reason, in this version, Donna's off-key back vocals create a cool whimsical mood that candy coats the Dupree's revival.
The Let it Grow could seriously be the best i ever heard. You just never hear them thrashing it this hard after the 74-75 hiatus, or ever. Mickey Hart is as active as ever in this version and every member knows that this is a hot night before its over.

The second set has a slightly more ordinary setlist, but everything seems to work out well. The jamming between Truckin'>Other One>Wharf Rat is as good as anything in 77', with Jer leading his group of buckaneers like a sailor on a ship floating towards untreaded waters. Quite a nice show. Overlooked because of the May month being so good, but this is a nice little gem in late 77' Certainly worth a full listen.

i think youd be hard pressed to find a more rock n roll version of jerry

I'm a little surprised by all the praise lavished on this show. listened to most of it in the car last night coming home from the poconos. Sure, the Casey Jones opener and the Dupree's are nice (esp. the Dupree's), but overall the band sounds a little sloppy in the first set, especially in CJ.

However, they punch out a SOLID Let it Grow, and that they generally take it up a notch in the second set. I also like the kinda mellow approach to Fire. A very good show, but kinda average performance by the standards of that era.

Amen to that, brother. You've nicely summed up the GD take on reality. This kind of thinking is really needed in the world.

Cooperation appears to be a lacking comoditity in the oberservable world..nevertheless this is what happens when talented musicans co-operate to create a sound that permeates your entire being losing the petty individual limited identity and merging with the music,band,audience to become one single WHOLE.....world leaders today could learn alot from this band about cooperation.....

Along with 9/3, 12/29, 6/9, 5/7-9, I would rate this as one of the top shows of the year.....Incredible jamming, very creative setlist, and exploratory efforts on tunes that had come into their own during this year. A very creative Scarlet/Fire, a Let it Grow that brings back memories of 73/74, the Wheel>Truckin>Other One>Wharf Rat>Sugar Magnolia is absolutely pristine.

Oh ya, and by far and away the best version of Casey Jones they ever played. Here's to the breakouts!

This may be my Favourite show of 1977 and I loooovvveee 2/26/77, 5/7/77, 5/8/77, 5/9/77, 5/19, 5/21 & 5/22/77, 6/8-9, etc,

The Scarlet-Fire may be the have the best transistion ever for a Scarlet/Fire. Duprees, whhel, Deal, Other One, Scarlet-Fire/ Wharf Rat, where does it stop Gosh Damn!

This Is a very energetic Powerful 1977 show hearing is believeing!]

Peace,

Neil Skelton

i was listening this in my car today...kinda loaded it up out of the blue, no expectations...forgot i even had it burned to a disc. fuck! is it good. dupree's is ridiculous and i'm sorry, but this has to be my fave let it grow...it has some amazing crescendos. did i mention the recording is perfect? it was a pleasant surprise to say the least. granted, my ride has a very nice system...but this is just plain great. 5 for the sound.

Great setlist, id have to say the second set is superior to the first though. Best versions of the wheel and deal. Scarlet>Fire was great too, as usual. Great show, and a sweet recording to top it off! 5 stars

You bets believe.

nice scarlet fire

This is a great show with great playing, vocals and sound. I just think that with all the great shows of this year it's hard to rank it a 5. That said if I could I'd give it a 41/2 if I could and I would still recomend it highly. Although from the set list it looks routine for 77 (with the exception of Duprees) The show is still great and shouldn't be missed.

Put this on the list of shows I wish I'd downloaded when I had the chance..great stuff from start to finish. Scarlet-Fire is wonderful, great Sugar Magnolia..

Jim

It sounds great. It looks great. No one song stands out per se, but it just sounds so phenomenal. Phil is booming all along, nice Jerry solos all the way through- the Sugar Mag I am listenting to now just rocks. The Scarlet Fire was very nice. Just a fun fun listen

New update:

Still sounds fabulous- streaming this in the latest version of the flash player it sounds lossy all the way. Perfect mix- all cylinders running

Sometimes, it's a good thing when Jerry forgets the words. What an awesome jam in Casey Jones! And to open it after not being played for years? Sweet.

Overall, a stellar show. Give it a listen for that Casey jam and Dupree's.

Yes thank you for letting us still listen to this
golden age, I don't have to own it as long as I can listen to it. The Let it Grow and Scarlet
Begonias are worth it alone.

For years I had a tape of this show what always stood out for me was the transition between Truckin and Other One. It really shows the boys at their best. The Jerry and Phil interplay is especially terrific. The bands just so tight. The show on the whole is great. As stated before the Scarlet Fire is a superb version and the rest of the show is also strong. Not to mention the sound is exceptional, both warm and crisp.

1977 is some tall cotton, but this show is outrageous! First of all, the sound of this Betty Board is sterling, as good as any tape that came out of that windfall. Second, the set list features not one but two break outs (first "Casey" since '74, first "DuPree's" since '69)as well as just the fourth post-hiatus "Truckin'". But it's the blistering execution that pushes the marvelous show to the next level. Every tune from the opener on is just smacked over the fence. While not a one would crop up one of these fun-but-rather-pointless "best version ever" discussions, the cumlative effect is devastating. The Scarlet>Fire is a masterpiece. I would rank this among the very top shows from this stupendous year. While I can see how it's gotten overlooked among all the celebrated shows from this year (2/26, 2/27, 4/23, the whole month of May, 6/7, 6/9, 11/6, etc), personally I would rate it higher than most if not all of them. No collection of the Top Shows from 1977 is complete without this gem!

Enjoyable, but not an outstanding show. The sound is great, and Jerry is in good voice. I'm not a big Casey Jones fan, and the first few songs are played better at other gigs in this and other years. But the revival of Dupree's Diamond Blues is a real treat. Late '77 was the first time the band played it since 1969. A flashback. This show also has a rockin' revival of Truckin', which they stopped playing in '74. The band gets introspective in Playing in the Band, which is the one of the more interesting points in the show. Jerry is hot on Sugar Magnolia.

I got this show from a friend, and boy was I psyched for a Casey Jones opener! This version highlights what made the Dead so different from other bands. Casey hadn't been played for some time and Jerry's spotty memory leads him to forget the "trouble with you" verse uh oh? Nah! The band jams for a while, making this a unique version of the song. Jerry sure fixed that one! Dupree's is another breakout and has that 1977 wallop behind it. The scarlet>fire is also great (as it usually is.) Playing is also a delightful beast. Another great 1977 show.

I can't really pin exactly what I love about this Scarlet > Fire, but it's one of the best. Keith lays down some really cool, funky synth keys during the transition, and Jerry sounds positively slinky during Fire. Plus, you can't go wrong with a Bettyboard!

This is great stuff! Man I wish I could have had this 20 years ago to listen to while cruising the highway to the next show. I am having trouble with the downloaded SHN's for this show. The text shows a total of 19 songs however after using MKW tool I came up with a total of 21 songs and 3 discs needed to burn. Also the text shows Scarlet >Fire at end of disc 1. Somehow Scarlet was lost and Fire on the mountain is tune 2 on D2. Okay am I just buzzed or has anyone else had trouble with this? Other than this problem I can't get enough of Disc 1 SWEET :-)

this is definitely an excellent show from 1977, but I can not download the first set through VBR-ZIP. Has anyone had this problem? If so and you've figured out how to solve it please let me know. I've tried the Shorten files but I can't convert them on my Mac. merq13@aol.com. thanks

This is an awesome show. Every reviewer before me is totally right. One thing that no one has mentioned is the buzz through out. You canÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt really her it when the music is going because this shit bumps but between songs and even when there is a slow spot you can hear it. Maybe itÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs me, I don't know. All and all this is fantastic show that is worth a DL. Peace

Wow. I saw 104 shows, and only 1 Casey Jones opener. What a great version here. Rollicking and rockin, with nice solo's. Too bad they stopped performing this song. All in all the mix here is very Phil solid but sadly, the vocals seem to me a bit hidden in the mix. The instruments are louder than the lead voices of Jerry and Bobby. Otherwise, A+...

This in one of the best (sound quality) dead shows I've ever heard. If there are more out there like this on archive, please email me.
skydog_0@yahoo.com

No static. As a previous reviewer says, each instrument/voice is clearly defined. Wonderful musical experience.

1977..the best year for the dead..this show is unreal.the boys are all so dialed in...and the mix is absolutely perfect..every instrument is clearly defined...and the tunes..from the 10 minute casey jones..to duprees after an 8 year hiatus...even when they forget the words, they jst jam on..one of the top 5 for this year..and that's saying alot...........

All of you Phd. Deadologists out there (probably the undergrads too) know that a phrase such as "one of the best shows of the year" is not to be bandied about when talking about such a monster year as 1977, but this show lives up to such a compliment. The sound is about as good as can be; crisp and pristine. The band plays well throughout. Downloading shows like this is why you love the Archive.

Thank you tapers, uploaders (who is this Jonathan Aizen anyway?), the Archive, and most of all the Grateful Dead for not only playing this music that is beautiful beyond words but letting us trade and enjoy it so freely. Good stuff all.

The second set really is very nice. More slinky and seductive than rousing and intense...a nice contrast to some of the more rollicking '77 offerings. Relaxed but silky and creative performance. Outstanding sound quality.

Sitting on the sidewalk, all of the experienced heads were talking about what they wanted to hear. I didn't know many Dead tunes (or I didn't THINK so - turned out I knew a bunch), so I just kept saying I hope they play Casey Jones and Truckin. People kept telling me they hadn't played Casey Jones since '74 and had only played Truckin a couple of times since, so I shouldn't get my hopes up.

When they opened with that sloppy but HOT Casey Jones, BAM - instant Deadhead. The show still holds up real well, but my second show was 1/22/78 in Eugene, which blew this one (and all subsequent shows) away. Still great memories. And the sbd is really clean.

I'd read about this in Deadbase, and decided to check it out. A VERY crisp SBD, with the band sounding like they are a foot away (though Lesh's lines are hard to pick out). So how in the world did this Casey Jones run on for 13:45? (BTW about two minutes of that is tuning before and after the song). At the four minute mark, Garcia forgets the words to the third verse (understandable, perhaps, as it was his first attempt to sing it since 1974). After a solo over the verse, he takes another, and another, and another. By about the sixth time through, Keith gets to solo, and he provides some old-timey western saloon licks. After nearly three minutes, Garcia is able to tell us that "The trouble with you is the trouble with me...."

Jack Straw follows, with the drummers setting a fast pace after the first set of verses. It fairly rocks, but very short (four 1/2 minutes of music). Brown Eyed, Garcia does his solo a little differently, straying just slightly from the melody. Let It Grow is driven by some great drumming. Not a screamer, but energetic. Overall, great sound quality and decent performance.

Great show all around, but yes the second set jam is terrific, many great segues, one of the best.

God I love this show!Okay, well for starters they pull out Casey Jones for openers(not since 1974)and then Dupree's(not since 1969!!)Not convinced? How about a great Let it Grow where Jerry is inspired! But the 2nd Set, another Dream Set,just blows you away. Scarlet>Fire, Playin, Wheel>Truckin>Other One>Wharf Rat.Only a Dark Star could improve this set! One of the reasons here that 1977 was a special year. Get this show fans, it will become one of your favorites as it has for me. Crank it up!
Dr. Flashback :-)